The national council has outlawed composite bats for competitive play. Since composites are the most cost-effective bats for high schools, several coaches across the state are already contemplating the return of aluminum bats. Press release follows.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Elliot Hopkins

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 6, 2010) - One of six new rules changes by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Committee forbids the use of composite bats until they can meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) performance standard. The changes, which were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors, will take effect with the 2010-11 school year.

After thorough testing by the Baseball Research Center at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee voted to outlaw composite bats until they can produce consistent results through the life of the bat, be made tamper-evident and be labeled as a composite product.

Elliot Hopkins, NFHS liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee, visited with James Sherwood, director of the Baseball Research Center, and spent several hours witnessing composite bat testing. "Rolling the bat gives it a higher performance," Hopkins said. "It can significantly increase the performance and that's huge in our game."

Rolling the bat isn't the only problem. Rolling only speeds up the performance enhancement that would occur over time after normal use. Even composite bats that were not altered will eventually see this increase in performance, and the rules committee views that as a major concern.

Rule 1-3-2 through 5 was completely rewritten with the intention of creating a rule that preserves the intent and spirit of the old rule, but is better suited to products resulting from new technology.

Under the new rule, bats with composite handles and tapers would still be legal. The stricter language applies primarily to the barrel of the bat.

"While the handles and taper are important components of the bat," Hopkins said, "the area that we recognized as more susceptible to abuse is the barrel."

spoilers23 wrote:Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but they banned composite bats not WOOD composite. If so the ban would have no effect on high school baseball in North Dakota anyway.

I would guess you are correct. The composite they are referring to would be bats like the Stealth Comp (aka composite) and the CF4 from Demarini. I would guess it does not include wood composite barrel bats because they are not even close to the same type of "composite" that is being banned. The NCAA banned composite barrel bats for the 2010 season. Now the NFHS is just following the lead.

spoilers23 wrote:Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but they banned composite bats not WOOD composite. If so the ban would have no effect on high school baseball in North Dakota anyway.

I would guess you are correct. The composite they are referring to would be bats like the Stealth Comp (aka composite) and the CF4 from Demarini. I would guess it does not include wood composite barrel bats because they are not even close to the same type of "composite" that is being banned. The NCAA banned composite barrel bats for the 2010 season. Now the NFHS is just following the lead.

Next year they are going to the college approved bats also knows as BBCOR bats, if you choose to stick with the wood bats which is what we've used now the last 4 years, the composite bats like the demarini's have to have a sticker on them that show its "BBCOR Approved" so any composite bats that anyone used last year cannot be used.